Welcome to the New Blogging Mayor's Blog Version 2.0

Happy New Year! Welcome to a new beginning of my Mayor's Blog! I have been posting on blogger and then using pointers to the village's eroundlake.com website since this blogs inception way back in the spring of 2005. One of the things that I have always felt unable to do because of its quasi-official status is not post about ongoing issues in the village with complete candor.

Over the years I have not written about some issues that I could have because of my sensitivity to the political process and my position as mayor. I have separated the blog as of last night completely from the village's website, and it no longer has any links that I know of on eroundlake.com (Harder then it seems given the nature of the internet).

One of the original reasons I started this blog was to keep a diary of what I did on a day to day to basis for future reference. An underlying reason I blog was so I could write a book about "being mayor" (that project has not been slumbering by the by). The blog took a different direction, which I am not sure was a bad thing.

However the new version blog will be harder and more behind the scenes at politics in Round Lake, the Round Lake Area as well as the county and state. An example of something I started to write about way back when was the Police and Public Works building. As I wrote it I realized that I was going to have talk about the then political climate and some individuals who were serving then who made poor decisions that cost the village money. So I decided not to continue the process, this blog will carry through on future issues.

I will write about topics that I feel like as opposed to topics I felt I had to write about, so there should be a change in the tenor of the blog.

The blog is as you can see changed format wise, however it still has the 1,400 old posts on it, and the comments. My rules have not changed, I allow unrestricted comments, and of course, profanity, attacks on my family and libel will be removed and the offending commenter banned until I decide to allow them back.

I also may from time to time allow guest bloggers to take over the driver seat here and "spout" there opinions on things, however they will be clearly identified as such and subject to the same rules as me.

New Blog Location plus Holiday wishes to you and your familly!

The time has come to say goodbye to the eroundlake.com/blog (no April Fools joke this time) and welcome it to its new location, which has actually been its old postion all the time. It just pointed to the eroundlake.com site, those pointers will be removed, and the blog will reside at its new headquarters.

billgentes.blogspot.com

The new blog will debut on January first, but you can go look at it now if you like, it looks slightly different appearance wise, but all the content is there so from that aspect nothing has changed. The blog will however change and I think that will make it more readable and enjoyable.

Finally I wish all of you a wonderful holiday tommorrow and I hope all of us get exactly what we wanted from Santa, and then we move on and have a wonderful 2009.

Well that was fun!

So I have been gone for 50 days, and not been paying much attention to the back office stuff on the blog like comments and numbers of visitors. Lots of comments were sitting in the queue waiting to be approved since most of them were germane to the state senate election and not this blog I deleted them. The rest I approved. Comments are back on and unrestricted as they generally always have been.

The other thing I noticed is that while I was averaging 1,500-1,600 unique users a day before the 50 day hiatus, over the 50 days my readership (if you can call it that) fell by an average of 500 users. So everyday even though nothing was posted 1,000 of you came anyway. Hummmm what does that say?

Lastly the picture above was the one my opponent used in all his negative mailings calling me a "master criminal" of course the kids were edited out, it was taken at a fourth grade field day at Village School a few years ago. I do still enjoy the picture becuase the kids and I had a great time.

Blog Vacation

I am taking a vacation from the blog for a bit, have a busy week ahead of me! Enjoy the Olympics and the sun!

No Post Today

Go enjoy these blogs.

Strange Maps

538

Lake County Motorist

Your next senator!

Hey its Three Years Since the First Post

This weekend the blog turned three! It started off as one thing and has slowly morphed into something else entirely. As many of you know I write another blog, although not as often as this one at my Senate site (www.billgentes.com/blog), and I have been giving serious consideration towards moving this blog to that location where I could write a little bit more freely on issues and give my opinions.

However since this is a birthday post, I will break down the blog by the numbers. With some observations thrown in for good measure.

• Over 1,000 posts and 8,000 comments have appeared on the screens of my readers
• The average number of unique users hovers between 1,100 and 1,500.
• Most of you read the blog in a period between 7am and 9am, or from noon to 1pm. The lunch crowd is almost all from work type domains!
• 474,326 total visitors to the site since its inception (Its actually more but I switched counters and lost some numbers about 2 years ago).
• Those visitors stay an average of 63 seconds.
• The most commented post was one of the school posts about a year ago (I can't find it right now) but it had 273 comments on it.

No matter where I go people tell me they love and read the blog. I was at a campaign event last night in Long Grove and someone told me they read it every day (checking on Route 53). That never fails to get a smile from me when someone notices!

Recently I have not been posting on weekends since I am a wee bit busy, and I don't think the blog has been as good recently (although readership is climbing) but two of my most "enjoyable to write" posts ever were written this month (April Fools and Pumpkins on the Run) so go figure!

The 1,000th Post

Well today is a milestone in my blog! Its the 1,000th post! The blog was started a little less then 3 years ago (the birthday festivities will be later this month).

I am proud of the fact that this blog has been featured in the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and in a government study commissioned by the IBM Center for the Business of Government on the effects of blogging for public officials.

I have spoken at a variety of national conferences on blogging. Where I have been treated as a celebrity by the blogosphere, which is quite a kick.

Its a rare event when I go out and don't have someone tell me they read my blog, which always gives me pleasure.

Not sure what the future holds but I am sure I will get to 2000 posts, either as a Senator, Mayor or some other position.

Blogger Issues Fixed?

I missed a couple posts last week due to some unknown Blogger problems, not sure if they were "Bill" related or "Blogger" related, however as mysteriously as they appeared they vanished! So I am back!

So the third part of my Round Lake Lake posts will appear tomorrow, lots of people have asked me what we are doing this weekend, so there is some interest in the project and its seems to be quite positive as well!

Blogger Issues

Thanksgiving Vacation

The blog and the Mayor are taking a few days off from blogging for the Thanksgiving break. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

250,000 Unique Users

What has had 904 posts, 1,011 unique users a day, 33 months of shelf life and 980 day's later....I hit 250,000 unique users late yesterday!

Throw in 4,235 comments, and what do you have? Why my blog of course! I was impressed when I got to 50 people a day, now I get that in an hour on a slow day....amazing!

Government Study on my Blog

The IBM Center for the Business of Government recently commissioned a study examining government blogging by David Wyld a professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University. Guess which blog was mentioned more then a few times? The report is here, be careful its a huge PDF!

In the study Dr. Wyld examines the phenomenon of blogging in the context of the larger revolutionary forces at play in the development of the second-generation Internet, where interactivity among users is key. This is also referred to as "Web 2.0." Wyld observes that blogging is growing as a tool for promoting not only online engagement of citizens and public servants, but also offline engagement. He describes blogging activities by members of Congress, governors, city mayors, and police and fire departments in which they engage directly with the public. He also describes how blogging is used within agencies to improve internal communications and speed the flow of information.

Based on the experiences of the blogoneers, Wyld develops a set of lessons learned and a checklist of best practices for public managers interested in following in their footsteps. He also examines the broader social phenomenon of online social networks and how they affect not only government but also corporate interactions with citizens and customers.

200,000 Unique Users and Growing!

Last Tuesday at around 6:12pm I hit the 200,000th unique user on the blog! It was from Comcast and they were looking for my campaign website and found this one instead. Some statistics from the blog:

• So far I am at 880 total posts and growing.
• The daily average of unique visitors is 895.
  
• People stay on the page for an average of 73 seconds.
• There have been 5,965 comments made on the blog.
• The record for comments on one post is 227 (I would link, but I can't find the post!)

Not sure how fast we will get to a quarter of a million, half a million, and then a million!

The Birthday Boy's Post!

Today is my birthday, I have been told it happens once a year! I reworked the post slightly to better reflect where I am today from last years post.

48 Years Ago-- I was born in Port Jefferson New York. (1959) Oddly enough the White Sox clinched an American League pennant that day.

47 Years Ago-- My sister Gaye showed up to steal all the attention! (1960)

39 Years Ago-- My Dad did a sabbatical in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico where I went to school in a one room school house with 15 other kids ranging from 1st to 8th grade. (1968)

37 Years Ago-- My parents both took early retirement and moved to Guadalajara Mexico, where my sister and I attended Mexican schools until we went to college. (1970)

31 Years Ago-- My grandfather took me to the Montreal Olympics (hooking me on Track and Field) and the Baseball All-Star game in Philadelphia. (1976)

29 Years Ago-- I went to college, where a few years later I would emerge with a degree in History and a minor in English Literature from Texas Pan American. (1978)

26 Years Ago-- I bought my first car a white 1973 Toyota Corona for $400, it had 73,000 miles on it. Sold it for scrap 6 years later with 201,000 on it. I would still be driving it if had not self destructed. (1979)

25 Years Ago-- I got my first "real" job. I was a warehouse manager in New Orleans and then later Dallas. (1982)

21 Years Ago-- I moved from Dallas to Chicago (1986)

20 Years Ago-- I met the First Lady of Round Lake, a couple of shotguns, a few slaps upside the head and I was married! (1987)

19 Years Ago-- I played golf at Renwood with my father in law and was amazed that civilization existed outside the city of Chicago. My first exposure to Round Lake.

17 Years Ago-- The first kid arrived, my daughter Denise. (1990)

15 Years Ago-- I lost my mom to a long struggle with cancer. I miss her to this day. (1993)

13 Years Ago-- We moved to Round Lake buying a townhouse in Tree House in the Woods. I also purchased my first Big Gulp at the Rollins Road 7-11 one of nearly 100,000 since! (1994)

11 Years Ago-- I was appointed to be a trustee of the Round Lake Area Library District.

9 Years Ago-- Was appointed to be a member of the Round Lake Planning Board (1998)

8 Years Ago-- Became Chairman of the Round Lake Planning Board (1999)

7 Years Ago-- I lost my dad miss him everyday as well. (2000)

6 Years Ago-- Elected Mayor of Round Lake, what was I thinking? I also resigned from the Library Board where I had won re-election twice. (2001)

5 Years Ago-- I weighed 283 pounds (2002)

4 Years Ago-- I weighed 194 pounds (2003) Thank you Mr. Atkins!

3 Years Ago-- Re-elected Mayor, this time my eyes were open, and I knew what I was getting into.

3 Years Ago-- This blog was born and nearly 900 posts later is still going strong!

2 Year Ago-- I still weigh under 200 pounds (barely) but damn I look good.

1 Year Ago-- Considering a run for State Senate, and working through the process and building support.

Today-- I am 48, I am running for State Senate, things are on the up in Round Lake, and I am enjoying my life immensely!

A Personal Announcement-- State Senate in 2008!

Over the last few years I have debated what I want my political future to be. Six years ago I was one of the first people in western Lake County to clearly say I was a Democrat and be an elected official. Being Mayor of Round Lake and being a Democrat were easily exclusive, the two rarely touched.

As the village grew, and started to take leadership roles on big projects in the county on transportation and hospitals for example, it became very useful to be a Democrat in a democratic state. I also realized that I enjoyed the big projects and work you had to do to get them done!

Many reasons along with the ones stated above have caused me to decide to run for the Illinois State Senate 26th district. The incumbent Senator Bill Peterson a Republican from Long Grove, I felt did not reflect the districts needs very well anymore, and I decided that I would mount what I felt was a winnable race, but a difficult one.

Senator Peterson announced last week that he was not seeking re-election, and if you read the papers you noticed that my name was prominently mentioned as the democratic challenger for the open seat. Obviously an open senate seat will stimulate interest and makes it quite the fight!

With the Illinois's primary date moved forward to make Illinois primary day more relevant in presidential party politics, the date I needed to move forward and announce was accelerated to today. I have to start passing petitions in August with a primary in February 2008 and the General election on the first Tuesday in November of 2008.

I plan on having four central themes for my election, transportation improvements, education funding reform, property tax relief and job creation & attraction to the district. While Illinois has many other issues, solving or contributing to a solution of the above four would help the 26th district and the state of Illinois immeasurably.

If you want more information on my campaign a website is set up at www.billgentes.com feel free to visit it. I will even have a blog (not yet), although not as intense as this one for now!

Please note that my Mayors blog will not be political, I will not tolerate election bashing of me or others, and the offending comments will simply be removed with no comments. This blog will remain and I will continue on as Mayor posting away about things that this community is interested in. If I am elected to the State Senate I will be the first Blogging Senator!

Comments on the Blog

I have been following a chain of comments between some with a screen name Al and "Dudley Do Right" on the blog, which has ranged so far afield thats it almost makes sense that it was in a post on the America's Cup Since neither of them, in there testosterone frenzy (they both have to be men, since a women would have kicked the man's butt long since in the argument) will let the other have the last word! I have been forced to have the last work and consquently have banned both of them from commenting.

I will let you back when I remember that I banned you in a few weeks. If I see you posting with other IP's I will ban those also, and I if I find one of you posting "secretly" and the other not posting, I will block the secret poster, and then un-ban the other person and let them get the last word!

Since "Dudley Do Right" in my mind is a much cooler screen name then "Al" I used a picture of the world's most favorite Mountie. This is no way reflects on the winner of the argument however...you are both wrong...benevolent despotism is the best form of government, as long as I get to be the despot! Joking obviously!

Bad Battery

My computer is sick so this one is coming from my phone! Computer electricity...socket...issues.

Nice Publicity for the Blog

I was interviewed by a reporter for MuniNetGuide recently and got a nice article in return about the blog on the website two days ago. It points out some interesting things, that the regular reader will already know. It's true about other mayors, they start and then die away which is a shame, because it is a great tool for keeping people aware of the community.

I had to credit the guy who gave me the idea Mayor Jim Wiley of Elburn who no longer posts regularly but still is the godfather of the process!

The Blog Turns Two Today!

Well today is the blog's second birthday! Some birthday factoids for the adoring masses.

• 3,950 comments have been made since I started using Haloscan so maybe there are 300 that were made prior to this for a total of 4,200 or so.
• 146,811 unique users have stopped by, or 201 a day every day since the blog started.
• The average unique users per day (90 day rolling average) that read this blog each day is 483 and climbing .
• The average person stays for 1 minute and 29 seconds.
• There have been 750 posts as of today! I did some multiple posts on the streets of summer a year ago or so, so there are more posts then days.
• I have posted on 721 out of 730 days.
• I think the record for comments on a single post was 225 total, but I can't recall which post.

My favorite five posts are these, I got great satisfaction out of them, for different reasons.

1. National Strategic Butter Reserve
   
2. Hospital Coming to Round Lake
3. Commentary on Liquor Licences
4. Getting on top of things!
5. Dealing with residents, the edgy way!
   

Note: As a follow-up to the butter reserve post, they are are down to a critically low 3 lbs in the Chicago cold storage facility (a 24 year old refrigerator).

Computer Issues

Over the weekend I got this on my laptop! No matter which step I took, safe mode, last known good configuration etc I could not get past this screen. You could read on the screen where the issue was, it was in the Win32 folder. Not to worry, I carefully back up everything once a week. Well guess what the back-up worked fine for the system stuff except the data file was corrupt, so my last week or so of emails is missing all my favorites and most of my documents. Which is annoying beyond belief but I can deal with it. The one thing I can not deal with is email, so if you sent me an email in the last two weeks that I have not answered please resend it to me!